Interest
SEE URSURY.
Fuente: Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature
Interest
INTEREST.Interest, found twice in Revised Version NT 1881, OT 1885 of the Gospels (Mat 25:27, Luk 19:23) instead of usury of Authorized Version , represents the Greek which in the LXX Septuagint is the equivalent of the Heb. neshekh in the whole of the eleven passages in which the latter occurs (Exo 22:25, Lev 25:36 etc.). Now neshekh is rightly rendered usury, the reference being to the interest, often exorbitant, charged by money-lenders in the ancient East. In the NT , though often used in contemporary Greek in the sense just defined, clearly signifies interest on deposit paid by a banker. There were many banks in the Roman period scattered over the Graeco-Roman world, some called public banks and others private firms (e.g. Theon & Co., Herodes & Co., at Oxyrhynchus). These, however, seem, from a lately discovered text, to have farmed from the government, in Egypt at any rate, the right of administering business; the Roman authorities, it would appear, following in some degree Ptolemaic precedent (Papyri of Oxyrhynchus, No. 513, vol. iii.: cf. the note on p. 248 f.). Not much seems to be known about the deposit department of ancient banking. The technical term for a deposit on which interest was paid was creditum. The amounts lodged in Roman banks towards the end of the Republic and under the Empire must have been, in some instances, very large. About the rate of interest paid to depositors there seems to be little or no information. The statement of Suetonius, that Augustus branded some people with infamy (notavit) because they borrowed at low interest and invested at high (Octavius, 39), may hint how the bankers made money out of the funds entrusted to their care. The usual rate of interest on loans under the Empire seems to have been one per cent, per month, or twelve per cent. per annum. This rate is repeatedly mentioned in the Papyri of Oxyrhynchus (No. 243 of a.d. 79, and No. 270 of a.d. 94, etc.). The rate paid to depositors will have been much lower. A considerable banking business was also done in ancient temples. So in ancient Babylonia (Johns, Babylonian and Assyrian Laws, Contracts, and Letters, 211), and in the Greek world, at the temple of the Ephesian Artemis, for instance (Anabasis, v. iii. 6 f.). That the temple of Jerusalem was used in this way is expressly stated by Josephus (BJ vi. v. 2), and in the legend about Heliodorus (2Ma 3:10-12; 2Ma 3:15). About the management of this temple bank nothing seems to be known. Our Lords references are probably to local , the Eastern representatives of the Roman argentarii. See also Bank.
Literature.Besides the authorities mentioned above, see Hasting’s Dictionary of the Bible , art. Usury; Encyc. Bibl., art. Trade and Commerce, 78; Smith, Dict. of Ant., artt. Fenus and Argentarii; Winer, RWB [Note: WB Realwrterbuch.] , art. Hinterlage; Schurer, GJV [Note: JV Geschichte des Jdischen Volkes.] 3 [Note: designates the particular edition of the work referred] ii. 268.
W. Taylor Smith.
Fuente: A Dictionary Of Christ And The Gospels
Interest
INTEREST.See Usury.
Fuente: Hastings’ Dictionary of the Bible
Interest
inter-est (, neshekh, , mashsha’; , tokos): The Hebrew word neshekh is from a root which means to bite; thus interest is something bitten off. The other word, mashsha’, means lending on interest. The Greek term is from the root tkto, to produce or beget, hence, interest is something begotten or produced by money. The Hebrew words are usually translated usury, but this meant the same as interest, all interest being reckoned as usury.
Long before Abraham’s time money had been loaned at a fixed rate of interest in Babylonia and almost certainly in Egypt. The Code of Hammurabi gives regulations regarding the lending and borrowing of money, the usual interest being 20 percent. Sometimes it was only 11 2/3 and 13 1/3, as shown by contract tablets. In one case, if the loan was not paid in two months, 18 per cent interest would be charged. Corn (grain), dates, onions, etc., were loaned at interest. Thus Moses and Israel would be familiar with commercial loans and interest. In Israel there was no system of credit or commercial loans in Moses’ time and after. A poor man borrowed because he was poor. The law of Moses (Exo 22:25) forbade loaning at interest. There was to be no creditor and no taker of interest among them (Lev 25:36, Lev 25:37). Dt permits them to lend on interest to a foreigner (Deu 23:19, Deu 23:20), but not to a brother Israelite. That this was considered the proper thing in Israel for centuries is seen in Psa 15:5, while Pro 28:8 implies that it was an unusual thing, interest being generally exacted and profit made. Ezekiel condemns it as a heinous sin (Eze 18:8, Eze 18:13, Eze 18:17) and holds up the ideal of righteousness as not taking interest (Eze 22:12). Isa 24:2 implies that it was a business in that age, the lender and borrower being social types. Jeremiah implies that there was not always the best feeling between lenders and borrowers (Jer 15:10). According to Neh 5:7, Neh 5:10, rich Jews were lending to others and exacting heavy interest. Nehemiah condemns such conduct and forbids its continuance, citing himself as an example of lending without interest. The lenders restored 1 percent of that exacted.
In the New Testament, references to interest occur in the parable of the Pounds (Luk 19:23) and of the Talents (Mat 25:27). Here the men were expected to put their master’s money out at interest, and condemnation followed the failure to do so. Thus the principle of receiving interest is not condemned in the Old Testament, only it was not to be taken from a brother Israelite. In the New Testament it is distinctly encouraged. See also USURY.
Fuente: International Standard Bible Encyclopedia
Interest
Income from loaning money, usually called usury in the scriptures, but not generally signifying unlawful or unjust rates
Exo 22:25; Lev 25:36-37; Deu 23:19-20; Neh 5:1-13; Psa 15:5; Pro 28:8; Isa 24:2; Eze 18:8-9; Eze 18:13; Eze 18:17; Eze 22:12 Borrowing; Debt; Debtor; Lending; Money
Fuente: Nave’s Topical Bible
Interest
(Lat. interest, it concerns, 3rd pers. sing, of interesse, to be between) The characteristic attitude of the mind toward any object which attracts and absorbs its attention. See Attention. — L.W.
Fuente: The Dictionary of Philosophy
Interest
primarily “a bringing forth, birth” (from tikto, “to beget”), then, “an offspring,” is used metaphorically of the produce of money lent out, “interest,” usury, Mat 25:27; Luk 19:23. See USURY.